Demoted

You know the drill: January 1st rolls around, you’re brimming with motivation, and you swear this year will be DIFFERENT. But let’s be real, you’re probably one of the 23% of people who gives up on your New Year’s resolution by the end of the first week. Don’t worry, your fearless hosts are too. This podcast is here to help you break the cycle, ditch the doom and gloom, and actually achieve those ambitious goals. In this episode, Ross and Natalie bravely confront the ghosts of their 2024 goals. Natalie’s dreams of culinary stardom remain firmly grounded in the realm of ‘someday,’ and Ross’s hand has achieved a level of fame that would make any influencer envious. Yes, that’s right, Ross’s hand (and no other body parts) graced the silver screen in a national television commercial. The duo also demonstrates effective methods for setting realistic goals by outlining ambitious plans for the podcast in 2025. Stay tuned for advice on how to request a raise before your one-year mark and how to navigate internal career transitions. Go to https://cornbreadhemp.com/DEMOTED and use promo code DEMOTED for 30% off your first order Join the Salesblazer Community at https://sforce.co/demoted Send us your Corporate Confessions, Dear Demoted advice, and Shout-outs through the submission form below: https://forms.gle/nJc667dUL65Xh63C6

Every Christmas dinner with extended family inevitably involves the timeless question, “So, what are you doing for work these days?” or “What do you do, again?” This can be a daunting challenge when your job description sounds like a cryptic corporate riddle that would require a PowerPoint presentation and therapy hand puppets to explain. In this episode, Ross and Natalie vividly portray their family holiday experiences, accurately predicting the chaos that awaits each other’s households. They engage in a role-playing scenario where Natalie attempts to explain her job to her Grandpa Jack. Additionally, they offer valuable tips on how to effectively communicate your esoteric corporate role to your family in a manner they can comprehend, or at least sufficiently to deter follow-up questions. Prepare yourself for a fresh wave of holiday party confessions, including an intern who vomits on the CEO’s wife, a showdown between a “work husband” and a real husband, and a heartfelt tribute to Melvin, a disgruntled manager who purposefully drove his car into the company building. Stay tuned for hazy recollections of SantaCon, childhood encounters with the terrifying mall Santa, and the enigma that is the Elf on the Shelf. Get up to 50% off Masterclass by going to https://masterclass.com/demoted Email contact@demotedpodcast.com with your Corporate Confessions and Dear Demoted advice requests. Or use the anonymous submission form on our website, https://www.demotedpodcast.com. Now accepting voice memos!

Is there an opportunity for career advancement at your office holiday party? Probably not. As you will hear from these stories, you may be putting your career and life at risk simply by attending. From innocent coworker hook-ups to full fledged infidelity and physical altercations, this episode explores just about everything that can go wrong at your end-of-year work party. Ross and Natalie read through listener-submitted stories of past year’s parties and give advice on how to not commit career limiting moves. Ross shares his experience attending office parties with his overzealous sales teams and Natalie describes her art of being the fun plus one. Stay tuned for a terrifying ghost story from Ross’s childhood, a PSA about spiking the office party punch bowl, and a quarter-life crisis after serving donuts to the interns. Go to https://cornbreadhemp.com/DEMOTED and use promo code DEMOTED for 30% off your first order Go to https://Goodr.com/demoted and use promo code DEMOTED for Free Shipping! Find and book top-rated doctors with ZocDoc at https://zocdoc.com/demoted Join the Salesblazer Community at https://sforce.co/demoted

It is a natural process within the corporate ecosystem for a mentee to bloom into a mentor. A shift so delicate that Ross woke up one day to realize he had metamorphosed into an old, wise professional equipped to bestow his knowledge on a young corporate spawn. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. In this episode, Ross and Natalie discuss their experience with mentors helping guide their professional and personal lives. Ross shares the fulfillment he gets from being a mentor, and Natalie shares a touching story about her current mentor, Lauren. You’ll hear why you shouldn’t disregard peer-mentors, and the duo also gives some inadvisable techniques for locking down a top-tier mentor such as hiding in golf bags, short-circuiting elevators, or crafting voodoo dolls of your prospective mentors. Stay tuned for some responses to listener advice requests about wearing make-up in the office, whether to send an AI written poem to fire someone, and if it’s worth risking your job to rig a golf sweepstakes. Get 50% off Masterclass by going to https://masterclass.com/demoted Join the Salesblazer Community at https://salesblazer.com

Has a corporate poltergeist ever hijacked your screen share resulting in you getting a raise? Have you ever witnessed a coworker ever try to steal a police horse? According to our listener-submitted stories, these things seem to happen all the time. In this episode, Natalie and Ross read the best stories submitted by you, the Moterheads. They explore the extremes of the corporate experience from heinous threats from managers to the inappropriate generosity to an aspiring mother. If you are not careful, listening to this episode without headphones may earn you a one-way ticket to HR. Stay tuned for lively discussions about off-hours message scheduling, leaving the airport during a layover, and piggy backing as a legit mode of transportation.

It’s that time of year to rack your brain and come up with something to be grateful for. Out of ideas? We’ll help jog your memory. In this episode, Natalie and Ross discuss the importance of expressing gratitude at work and in life. You’ll hear targeted thanks to the most special people in the office, such as Amanda who consistently books meetings between other meetings, creating an unceasing chain of back to backs. Thank you, Amanda! They also give a much needed analysis of Thanksgiving traditions and question the legitimacy of cranberry sauce and marshmallows on yams. Stay tuned for requested advice on what to expect from corporate re-org doom, whether or not to risk a PIP by going on PTO, and how to be more socially outgoing at a new job. Find and book top-rated doctors with ZocDoc at https://zocdoc.com/demoted Get 50% off Masterclass by going to https://masterclass.com/demoted

Two-time World Series champion, four-time MLB All-Star, and three-time email sender, Hunter Pence, joins the podcast as our first-ever guest! If you aren’t a San Francisco Giants (or baseball) fan, have no fear. In this episode, Ross and Natalie chat with Hunter Pence about his career transition from being a professional baseball player to MLB commentator and multi-business owner. He reveals how his experience developing a strong work ethic, a positive mindset, and a healthy relationship with public critique has transferred over from the sports world to the corporate world. Of course, Ross and Hunter also get to geek out about baseball, video games, and board games while Natalie politely keeps the conversation on track. Stay tuned for our regular scheduled programming of just Ross and Natalie yapping about Tahoe with the boys, watching sports with your dad, and how to laugh without smiling. Try Notion for free when you go to https://notion.com/demoted

Is there a such thing as Corporate spooky? Yes, and it’s more terrifying than you would believe. Don’t listen to these spooky stories with the lights off. These outrageous and absurd stories have been too spooky to share until now. From a mind-boggling Google search on a shared screen to a murder at an internship to a carpool flatulence disaster that could bring tears to your eyes, these stories will give you a fright. Natalie and Ross also explore the do’s and don’t’s of celebrating Halloween in the office; they cover the main rules for dressing up for the holiday in a corporate setting, and they give tactical techniques for spreading the Halloween spirit in the office. Stay tuned for a recap of the corps’ favorite costumes over the years, Ross’s love for Hans Zimmer, and the legend of Winnie the Rizz. Try Notion for free when you go to https://notion.com/demoted

You’ve most likely been wondering how Ross functions on a daily basis. How does he keep his business and personal life afloat despite his apparent and abundant flaws? Introducing… Becca, Ross’s business manager and wife. In this episode, Ross and Becca open up about their lives living and working together. They dig into the details of how they structure both their personal and professional relationships and go through the pros and cons of their arrangement. You’ll get a close look at who Becca was as a teacher and school principal before shifting careers to managing content creators. More importantly you'll find out if Ross was a “cool kid” in high school when they first started dating. Stay tuned for a breakdown of their shared finances, an ongoing fantasy football rivalry, and some advice on how to transition out of tech sales.

None of these clients will be getting a friendly gift basket this holiday season. If anything, they should get a restraining order filed against them and a shot of penicillin. In this episode, Ross and Natalie read through the wildest client stories we’ve ever heard. They cover client interfacing going horribly wrong, crazy deal stories, and technical failures resulting in utter embarrassment. Hidden foot cams, threesomes, dengue fever and stool softener are among the various twists and turns these stories take. Stay tuned for some bonus stories about a glass pumpkin addiction and a tampon plumbing disaster. Try Notion for free when you go to https://notion.com/demoted

There’s nothing like the mix of excitement and anxiety when walking into your first day of a new job. Set yourself up for success by starting out on the right foot…you’ll thank yourself later. In this episode, Natalie and Ross reflect on their first days of work in consulting and sales. They give some tips for you to employ when starting a new job that’ll lower your anxiety and help you to be productive right out of the gate. If you’re interested in making a first impression that will scar your image in your coworkers’ minds, we’ll hit you with some absolutely unhinged stunts to pull on your first day. Stay tuned for a behind the scenes discussion of Natalie staring in The Charlie Puth Show, Ross busting a stanky leg on the stage of a crowd of hundreds of people, and Natalie’s decision to laminate her eyebrows.

According to CNBC, 57% of Gen Z Americans want to become a social media influencer. But, the road to becoming a successful content creator is long and not all glitz and glam. In this episode, Natalie and Ross discuss their social media journeys and highlight the necessary first steps toward building a life of content creation. You’ll hear about how to choose your niche, how to grow a following, and why it’s important to keep testing out new content ideas. They will share an exclusive inside look at the decisions that contributed to the success of their Corporate Bro and Corporate Natalie brands. Stay tuned for an a story of an influencer live streaming a gala dinner, Natalie’s Halloween costume plans, and the newest batch of corporate jargon.

Performance enhancement shouldn’t only apply to top athletes. Its time we start enhancing the performance of desk-dwelling corporate warriors. Here is how its done. In this episode, Natalie and Ross discuss the various methods, rituals, supplements and substances that may or may not improve your work productivity. Whether by chugging espresso or counting 25 minute pomodoros, everyone can find simple hacks for a daily boost of focus. You’ll also hear a bunch of tricks that are inadvisable to add to your routine such as hiring high school coaches to yell at you at your desk or mix and matching various stimulants. Stay tuned for a story of a weird CEO who needs help with his morning routine, Ross’s love of smelling salts, and why you should never swear at AI.

The life of a corporate intern isn’t supposed to be glamorous but we didn’t expect to hear such shocking stories from our listeners. Buckle up for some rapid-fire Internship confessions! In this episode, Natalie and Ross read confessions that illustrate the dramatic range of experience that young professionals are having while kicking off their careers. You’ll hear stories of drunk interns teleporting bar to bar, interns being framed for embezzling funds, interns sleeping all over the office, and interns using company funds to go to a strip club. Stay tuned for big four consulting career advice, Ross starting mascot brawls, and a friendly reminder to not stick your hand in a grizzly bear exhibit.

Does the perfect email exist? What are the unwritten rules of corporate email? If opening your email every morning is like playing a desperate game of corporate whack-a-mole, you're not alone. In this episode, you’ll get a crash course on all the do’s and don’ts of crafting effective work emails. Natalie and Ross dive deep into the world of email etiquette by sharing best practices for professional email formatting, tips on how to get more responses to cold outreach, and ways to make your email stand out in a busy inbox. Ross explains the challenges of sales email outreach and all the out-of-the-box techniques used to grab a buyer’s attention. You’ll also get a guide on writing inflammatory subject lines that will guarantee a 100% open rate. Stay tuned for an email fail story of a Gen Z employee CCing their entire company and then proceeding to vape in the conference room.

Is your direct report calling you “Baby Daddy”? Or maybe you have a piercing in a not-so-office appropriate place that somehow you now have to tell your boss about. Or perhaps your boss is saying “bust on” in a work setting - regardless, we got you covered. In this episode, Natalie and Ross address some absolutely absurd listener-submitted calls. They may not be licensed or certified to give advice, but thats not stopping them. They provide one listener advice on how to step into their first corporate job after college, and give another listener the best strategy for shifting from an IC to management. Stay tuned for Natalie’s group hiking experience, Venmo stalking, and Ross getting memed by Elon Musk. The Corporate Hotline is open for calls. Please submit your audio message to the submission form in the top right corner of our website. https://demotedpodcast.com

Does rizz play a role in ascending the corporate ladder? Is it about how big your rizz is or how you use it? In this episode, Ross and Natalie break down what it means to have rizz in the workplace and why it is a factor to career success that should not be overlooked. You’ll get a crash course in how to rizz up your office that will either result in a series of promotions or a direct ticket to HR. You’ll learn how to make friends and rizzfluence people with the help of our favorite author D Carn (Dale Carnegie). If you are not yet sick of hearing the word “Rizz,” then this episode just might push you over the edge. Stay tuned for a webinar screen share disaster, a bear encounter on a golf course, and a tale of Gam Gam getting bullied. Follow the link https://www.chomps.com/demoted to purchase Chomps online or find them at a store near you!

To go to business school or not to go to business school? In this episode, Ross goes in depth about his experience attending Stanford's Graduate School of Business. From why he went back to school at 29 years old, to how an MBA has affected his career. Natalie shares her perspective on the Stanford MBA program as a close outside observer sneaking into classes and attending all their parties and international trips. The two discuss the merits of using business school to career pivot and how to get the most out of the time there if you do decide to go. They also talk about the challenging balance of keeping up with class workloads and a robust social life. Stay tuned for some enhanced corporate icebreakers, a “touchy feely” class, and a listener-submitted story of what happened when a bridesmaid hooked up with the bride’s brother. Start Ritual or add Stress Relief to your subscription today. Go to https://ritual.com/demoted for 25% off.

The job search these days feels more impossible than it ever has. No better reason to be ready to crush a job interview when the opportunity arises. In this episode, Corp and Nat share some best practices on how to put your best self forward in a job interview. They also reminisce about their early interview failures, including a particularly spooky story of Ross being given a phone in the middle of a sales interview to do a surprise cold call. You’ll hear a listener-submitted advice request about how to maintain your sales leaderboard positions. Stay tuned for takes on getting a keratin treatment, non-romantic adult sleepovers, and practice pitching in an empty parking structure. Follow the link https://www.chomps.com/demoted to purchase Chomps online or find them at a store near you! Check out the Silly Valley News newsletter at https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/silly-valley-news-7211044838354362368 For the founder dinner story check out the beginning of the Nightmare Bosses: Part 1 episode: https://youtu.be/QtaQewgmmr0

Is going into the sales profession a worthwhile career move? If you can handle the stress and rejection… maybe. Ross reveals the unmitigated truth of a career in sales, explaining the struggle of hitting quota quarter after quarter, the grind of cold prospecting, and the joy of closing a deal. Natalie discusses how her impression of sales and salespeople has evolved since working with Ross and overseeing sales motions for her own startup. You’ll hear how even if you’re not in a sales role, the soft skill of selling can be applied throughout your career and life. Stay tuned for an unhinged sales cold call recording, tips on how to make work feels more like a vacation, and an exclusive sample of Natalie’s shower singing skills.